Large pickups: total sales up 2 percent and retail sales rise 5 percent versus June

DETROIT – Driven by continued strong demand for the company’s lineup of fuel-efficient cars and crossovers, and by improving full-size pickup truck sales, General Motors dealers in the United States reported 214,915 total sales in July, an 8-percent gain compared to July 2010.

Retail sales for GM’s brands rose 6 percent for the month compared to a year ago, and were 1 percent higher than June.

In July, total sales of the Chevrolet Cruze were above 20,000 for the fourth-straight month, delivering 24,648 units. The 32 miles-per-gallon highway-rated GMC Terrain and Chevrolet Equinox compact crossovers saw a combined retail sales increase of 73 percent during the month.

"Sales of our fuel-efficient cars like the Chevrolet Cruze and our crossovers remain strong, and we’re now also seeing the seasonal lift in full-size pickups that we expected," said Don Johnson, vice president, U.S. Sales Operations.

The U.S. auto sector has faced several significant headwinds in the past several months. Nonetheless, the industry is poised to regain some of its lost momentum in the second half of the year, aided by higher supply and pent-up demand.

“There are people who put off vehicle purchases because of uncertainty about fuel prices, vehicle availability and the economy,” Johnson said. “As these conditions improve in the latter half of this year, many of these buyers will return to the market.”

GM’s 2011 U.S. industry forecast, originally announced in January, remains unchanged at 13 million to 13.5 million units, but the company expects total industry sales to end the year in the low end of this range, Johnson said.

Passenger Cars

Total sales of GM passenger cars increased 8 percent during July, compared to a year ago. Retail sales for cars rose 9 percent for the month on the continuing strength of the Cruze. The Cruze Eco, which delivers an estimated 42 miles-per-gallon highway, accounted for 19 percent of the model’s retail sales during the month.

The all-new Buick Regal continued to appeal to new consumers, more than doubling retail sales from a year ago. For the month, approximately 33 percent of Regal sales were turbo models. Chevrolet Camaro retail sales rose 7 percent, as demand for the all-new convertible model continued to rise.

Year to date through July, retail sales for GM’s passenger cars are up 37 percent.

Crossovers

Total crossover sales increased 20 percent compared to last July, while retail sales climbed 17 percent. Retail sales of Equinox and Terrain were up 75 percent and 67 percent respectively, while retail sales for the GMC Acadia improved 33 percent.

Year to date through July, retail sales of GM’s crossovers increased 25 percent.

Total sales of GM’s full-size pickups declined 3 percent versus a year ago.

“The increase in industry sales of full-size pickups is consistent with our forecast, as more truck buyers come back into the market,” Johnson said. “We expect continued modest growth in the segment for the remainder of the year, and are positioned to meet the increase in demand.”

For the year to date through July, total pickup sales of 306,439 units represent a 9-percent increase compared to the same period in 2010. For the year, retail sales for GM’s full-size pickups are up 9 percent. Through July, estimated retail market share for the Silverado, Avalanche and Sierra has grown more than 2.5 percentage points.
Fleet and Commercial

Compared to last year, July fleet sales increased 13 percent, as the company posted its 16th consecutive month of commercial sales gains.

Fleet deliveries accounted for 26 percent of GM’s total sales for the month.

Month-end dealer inventory in the United States stood at about 538,000 units, down about 67,000 units compared to June and about 115,000 units higher than July 2010.

Brand Key Facts:

Chevrolet: Chevrolet dealers delivered 149,005 total vehicles in July, a 6-percent increase over July 2010. Retail sales for Chevrolet were up 9 percent, for the eleventh straight month of retail sales increases for the brand. For Cruze, total sales surpassed 20,000 for the fourth month in a row at 24,648. Equinox retail sales rose 75 percent. Year-to-date, Chevrolet total sales are up 14 percent and retail sales are 23 percent higher than in 2010 (read more).

Buick: Buick reported 16,873 total sales, a four-tenths percent increase compared to last year. This includes a 1-percent increase in year-over-year retail sales, led by demand for the all-new Regal and Regal Turbo. July was the 22nd consecutive month of year-over-year total and retail sales gains for the brand. Year-to-date Buick total sales are 27 percent higher than the first seven months of 2010, while retail sales have risen 28 percent for the year (read more).

GMC: GMC reported its best month of 2011 with total sales of 37,918, a 36-percent increase compared to the same month last year. Retail sales were up 17 percent for the brand on strong demand for the Terrain (up 67 percent) and the Acadia (up 33 percent). Sierra retail sales rose 2 percent year over year and increased 2 percent compared to June. July also marked the 22nd consecutive month of year-over-year total and retail sales increases for the brand. Through July, GMC total sales are up 25 percent, while retail sales have risen 23 percent (read more).

Cadillac: Cadillac reported total sales of 11,119 for July, a 26-percent decrease versus last July which included a significant reduction in sales to fleets. For the month, retail sales decreased 26 percent. For the year-to-date, Cadillac total sales are up 9 percent while retail sales have increased 17 percent (read more).

Fleet sales for GM’s four brands were 56,357 for the month, a 13-percent increase compared to last year’s July. Sales to commercial customers increased 5 percent – the 16th consecutive month of commercial fleet sales gains. Fleet accounted for 26 percent of GM total sales during the month.